Natal set

NATAL 1800s Embossed Part SET OF USED   STAMPS BID ON THIS ITEM TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION. ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT MY OTHER ITEMS THAT I AM SELLING URGENTLY   POSTAGE SA Post Office: R40  add 5 for additional items POSTNET: R99 up to 1KG   POSTAGE    

NATAL: 1881: TELEGRAPH STAMPS SGT1-T6: SHORT SET TO 5/-:  - SCARCE 1d UNUSED(NO GUM), THE REST MOUNTED MINT

Natal Mounted Rifles 1940-1950's (Set) The NMR was part of the 1st SA Infantry Division (2nd SA Brigade) during the second World War and and saw action in East Africa and North Africa.Thereafter it was transferred to the 6th SA Armoured Division and saw service in Italy.   ###   Silver Collection  on show from  6th  to   25th June, if you're an  Avid Collector of interesting pieces, Please  see our selection of around  20  items, ranging from  R150  to  R6,750.  ###   Please also note that  Axis Militaria   will be closing their auctions from 19:00 pm to 21:00 pm Monday Nights. (SAST, GMT+2)           

Natal Mounted Rifles 1940-1950's (Set) The NMR was part of the 1st SA Infantry Division (2nd SA Brigade) during the second World War and and saw action in East Africa and North Africa.Thereafter it was transferred to the 6th SA Armoured Division and saw service in Italy.   ###   Large   Lucite Badge Collection   on show from  17th July- 20th August Over   200 Badges   on show, ranging   from R35- R175   starting b id.   ###     Please also note that  Axis Militaria   will be closing their auctions from 19:00 pm to 21:00 pm Monday Nights. (SAST, GMT+2)           

Buy NATAL 1904 - KEV11 SET TO 6D MINT AND USED CV R750 for R155.00

Buy Natal 1874 set of 3 De La Rue IMPERFORATE Plate proof blocks overprinted CANCELLED. See below. for R12,000.00

Buy Natal (Dannhauser): Kleinman & Finchen Set of Tokens for R21.00

Buy Natal: 1924 Superb set of 8 Entertainment Duty IMPERF PLATE PROOFS by De la Rue. Rare. for R9,950.00

Buy Natal Official 1904 KEVII set of 6 very fine mint for R4,200.00

Buy Natal 1904/08 KEVII set of 10 with scarce £1.10 having a certificate very fine mint for R26,000.00

Buy Natal 1904 KEVII set of 9 values to 2s6d very fine mint for R2,800.00

Buy Natal 1874-78 QV part set (CC), used (SACC 71-74, CV R 1050) for R120.00

 All lugs intact.Set of shoulder titles and a helmet badge 1922-43 LOCAL BUYER R110 POSTNET OVERSEAS BIDDER AIRMAIL R280

South Africa NNS 60yrs Jubilee 4x Medal set (2Silver and 2Bronze) Form: Circular By: Gold Reef City Mint Date: 2015 Ref:  Laidlaw: 1001;  Variations: Size Metal Mass Value 38.5 mm Silver (0.999) 31.8 gm $25 38.5 mm Silver (0.999) Stamped 31.9 gm $25 38.4 mm Darkened Bronze 29.3 gm $12 38.4 mm Copper-Bronze 29.6 gm $12 Edge: Upright reeded.    Obverse: Within a beaded border round he rim, pair of wildebeests galloping to the left on the open veld, trees and mountains behind. Legend: "THE NATAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY".    Reverse: Within a beaded border round he rim, coat of arms of the Province of Natal, king's crown crest and: "NATAL" on a ribbon below. Below across: "`1955 (star) JUBILEE (star) 2015". Below that, on the bronze medals, stamped across: "GRC NNS". One variety of the sliver medal stamped: "GRC NNS" downwards on the left of the coat of arms; the other variety has no stamp. Legend: "60 YEARS OF COIN COLLECTING".    Notes: The silver medals come encapsulated within a blue case lined with white silk and blue velvet with: "SA MUNT / (emblem of the SA Mint)" on the inside of the lid. The Gold Reef City Mint is a privately owned mint located in Johannesburg and works closely with the South African Mint. The symbol of the galloping wildebeests was adopted in the mid 19th century for the Colony of Natal. The coat of arms of the Colony was officially granted by King Edward VII in 1907. After union in 1910, the arms were used (in the form shown on the reverse of this medal) for the Province of Natal until 1994, after which the arms become obsolete. Reported Mintage: Silver without stamp: 20 Silver with stamp: 60 Darkened bronze: 60 Copper-bronze: 20             

RSA  1988 - SACC 654/61 -  NATAL RELIEF FUND CHARITY ISSUE  SET OF CONTROL BLOCKS  FINE  MINT      

Buy 5 Cent Mint & Used Stamp Set Transkie Child Health Pre Natal Nourishment for R5.00

Buy Sale - Stamps Set: Natal Flood Disaster SOUTH AFRICA for R40.00

Buy WW2 NATAL MOUNTED RIFLES/6th ARMOURED DIVISION SHOULDER FLASH SET for R1,000.00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 1800s TRIANGLES  and part set of other  COGH and NATAL stamps BID ON THIS ITEM TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION. ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT MY OTHER ITEMS THAT I AM SELLING URGENTLY POSTAGE SA Post Office: R40  add 5 for additional items POSTNET: R99 up to 1KG  

we are looking for a second hand porta pack welding set for jewellery making. kwa zulu natal area. approx r3,500.00...160535887

  generic images SOUTH AFRICA HAS DEVELOPED A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO PRESERVE ITS NATURAL ENVIRONMENT In 2013, this four-coin sterling-silver series featured the iSimangaliso MPA in the Delagoa bioregion, followed by the MPAs in the Natal bioregion in 2014. In 2015,the MPAs in the Agulhas bioregion were represented, and in 2016, aspects of the south-western Cape bioregion are portrayed. The 50c coin portrays the eight-tentacled master of camouflage: the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). A great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) propels itself out of the water on the 20c coin. The endangered African penquin (Spheniscus demersus) is portrayed on the 10c coin. The West Coast rock lobster (Jasus Lalandii) featured on the 5c coin contributes approximately R200 million to the South African economy every year. Mintage 205

This set of 25 Gold Plated Sterling Silver postage stamps replica were produced by the Africana Commemorative Mint in or (I’m not sure) to commemorate the SA’s Postal History. They are housed in a velvet-lined Yellow wood and Stinkwood presentation case. Cast from STG-grade sterling silver, they are plated in 24 carat gold. These reproductions were strictly limited to sets world-wide. This specific set consists of (from top left on photo): Deutsch Sudwest Afrika 80 Pfennig, Transvaal Postage 1 Shilling, Natal Postage 5 Shillings, Zululand ₤1, Deutsch Sudwest Afrika 5 Mari, 1 Shilling, Natal One Penny, Cape of Good Hope 1 Penny, Transvaal ₤5, Cape of AFR Good Hope 6d, Three Pence, SA Company 1 Pound, British Bechuanaland Five Pounds, Orange River Colony 5 Shillings, Republiek Stellaland Zes Pence, Oranje Vrystaat 10 Shillings, Z AFR Republiek Vijf Pnd, Oranje Vrijstaat 1 Penny, Natal ₤20, Cape of Good Hope 1 Penny, Cape of Good Hope 6 Pence, Natal 4 Pence, Z AFR Republiek 10 Shillings, Natal 1 Shilling, Cape of Good Hope 1 Penny. At the back of each stamp there is a replica number (see photo of back). Please let me know if you need more detailed photos, which I will email to you. You can also phone on my landline - 031-.

Soils of the Sugar Belt, a set of 3 volumes complete with all maps by B E Beater Part 1 Natal North Coast Part 2 Natal South Coast Part 3 Zululand 3 Volumes hard cover published for the University of Natal by The Oxford University Press in Blue cloth boards have been nibbled at the spine & book ends by insects, internal binding is tight all maps are intheir sleeves, books appear unread but pages have yellowed with age. No Dustjackets. A set usually sells for around US$100 Postage within South Africa will be R Overseas buyers can contact us for a postal quote.

49.5 ha FARM CONTAINING TILLITE FOR SALE IN NEWARK, KWAZULU NATAL Tillite is a blue-grey rock used in construction of buildings and roads. Newark and is located in iLembe District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The property market on the KZN north coast is set to receive a major shot in the arm over the next few years courtesy of the Dube Trade Port and King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy, situated between Ballito and Umhlanga Rocks. It is estimated that these projects will create in excess of jobs over the next 25 years and the spin-offs are already being felt in surrounding areas with increased demand for goods, services and accommodation for workers driving property prices up. Construction material will certainly be needed. Other than mining the farm can be used for cattle or pig farming. The Local Municipality is strategically located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the NorthCoast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located on the major railway and road transportation routes which link these two economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal. This strategic location is also acknowledged in the Provincial Spatial Framework which has identified Mandeni as the growth node in the north coast corridor. The construction of the new Dube Trade Port and King Shaka International Airport has much economic, social and employment implications for the municipality because of its location. Mandeni Local Municipality is strategically located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the North Coast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located on the major railway and road transportation routes which link these two economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal. This strategic location is also acknowledged in the Provincial Spatial Framework which has identified Mandeni as the growth node in the north coast corridor. The Tugela River bisects the municipal area thereby giving the area an important competitive advantage in the form of constant availability of water. The municipal area has a very rich historical past.The historical events which occurred in this area include: the Battle of Tugela, which was fought on the slopes of Ndondakusuka in between a group of settlers from Port Natal under John Cane and Robert Biggar, and an impi of Dingaans forces, and the battle of Ndondakusuka in , fought between King Mpandes sons Cetshwayo and Mbuyazwe; to contest the right of succession to the Zulu throne; and the ultimatum given to King Cetshwayos izinduna by the colonial authorities on 11 December at the Ultimatum Tree on the banks of the Tugela in the Mandeni Municipal area. This led to the invasion of the Kingdom of KwaZulu on 22 January , and the start of the Anglo - Zulu War. Other sites of cultural and historical interest are Cetshwayos Stone in eNdulinde, Nandis Kraal, the Swedish Mission south of Tugela, and Mpaphala, where the first registered sangoma lived. The Ndondakusuka Military Kraal has been established to set out, in particular, the Zulu social and military system. The project includes site clearing at the Ultimatum Tree, Fort Pearson and at war graves, as well as the construction of interpretive, and arts and crafts centres. Internal Agency Ref No:ZZ Property Reference #: Nearby Schools: Tugela Secondary School 1.30 Lower Tugela Primary School 1.47 Nearby Places/Vicinity: Mandini Medical Centre 4.02 Mandeni Clinic 4.26 Brotherhood of Blessed Gerard Care Centre 3.36 Total - Riverview Diesel 0.51 Caltex 0.66 Caltex 1.55 Total - Tugela Motors 3.54 Total Bonjour 3.52 Steers 3.53 Mandini Mini Market & Family Store 4.00 Mandini Pharmacy 4.01 Agent Details: Jemendra Haripershad CHOPROP HOLDINGS S.A PTY (LTD) 146 Willem Botha Wierda Park Gauteng South Africa Centurion www.choprop.com

49.5 ha FARM CONTAINING TILLITE FOR SALE IN NEWARK, KWAZULU NATAL Tillite is a blue-grey rock used in construction of buildings and roads. Newark and is located in iLembe District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The property market on the KZN north coast is set to receive a major shot in the arm over the next few years courtesy of the Dube Trade Port and King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy, situated between Ballito and Umhlanga Rocks. It is estimated that these projects will create in excess of 269 000 jobs over the next 25 years and the spin-offs are already being felt in surrounding areas with increased demand for goods, services and accommodation for workers driving property prices up. Construction material will certainly be needed. Other than mining the farm can be used for cattle or pig farming. The Local Municipality is strategically located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the NorthCoast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located on the major railway and road transportation routes which link these two economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal. This strategic location is also acknowledged in the Provincial Spatial Framework which has identified Mandeni as the growth node in the north coast corridor. The construction of the new Dube Trade Port and King Shaka International Airport has much economic, social and employment implications for the municipality because of its location. Mandeni Local Municipality is strategically located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the North Coast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located on the major railway and road transportation routes which link these two economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal. This strategic location is also acknowledged in the Provincial Spatial Framework which has identified Mandeni as the growth node in the north coast corridor. The Tugela River bisects the municipal area thereby giving the area an important competitive advantage in the form of constant availability of water. The municipal area has a very rich historical past.The historical events which occurred in this area include: the Battle of Tugela, which was fought on the slopes of Ndondakusuka in 1838 between a group of settlers from Port Natal under John Cane and Robert Biggar, and an impi of Dingaans forces, and the battle of Ndondakusuka in 1856, fought between King Mpandes sons Cetshwayo and Mbuyazwe; to contest the right of succession to the Zulu throne; and the ultimatum given to King Cetshwayos izinduna by the colonial authorities on 11 December 1878 at the Ultimatum Tree on the banks of the Tugela in the Mandeni Municipal area. This led to the invasion of the Kingdom of KwaZulu on 22 January 1879, and the start of the Anglo - Zulu War. Other sites of cultural and historical interest are Cetshwayos Stone in eNdulinde, Nandis Kraal, the Swedish Mission south of Tugela, and Mpaphala, where the first registered sangoma lived. The Ndondakusuka Military Kraal has been established to set out, in particular, the Zulu social and military system. The project includes site clearing at the Ultimatum Tree, Fort Pearson and at war graves, as well as the construction of interpretive, and arts and crafts centres. Internal Agency Ref No:ZZ00008146 Property Reference #: 3279476 Nearby Schools: Tugela Secondary School 1.30 Lower Tugela Primary School 1.47 Nearby Places/Vicinity: Mandini Medical Centre 4.02 Mandeni Clinic 4.26 Brotherhood of Blessed Gerard Care Centre 3.36 Total - Riverview Diesel 0.51 Caltex 0.66 Caltex 1.55 Total - Tugela Motors 3.54 Total Bonjour 3.52 Steers 3.53 Mandini Mini Market & Family Store 4.00 Mandini Pharmacy 4.01 Agent Details: Jemendra Haripershad CHOPROP HOLDINGS S.A PTY (LTD) 146 Willem Botha Wierda Park 0157 Gauteng South Africa Centurion www.choprop.com

49.5 ha FARM CONTAINING TILLITE FOR SALE IN NEWARK, KWAZULU NATAL Tillite is a blue-grey rock used in construction of buildings and roads. Newark and is located in iLembe District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The property market on the KZN north coast is set to receive a major shot in the arm over the next few years courtesy of the Dube Trade Port and King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy, situated between Ballito and Umhlanga Rocks. It is estimated that these projects will create in excess of 269 000 jobs over the next 25 years and the spin-offs are already being felt in surrounding areas with increased demand for goods, services and accommodation for workers driving property prices up. Construction material will certainly be needed. Other than mining the farm can be used for cattle or pig farming. The Local Municipality is strategically located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the NorthCoast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located on the major railway and road transportation routes which link these two economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal. This strategic location is also acknowledged in the Provincial Spatial Framework which has identified Mandeni as the growth node in the north coast corridor. The construction of the new Dube Trade Port and King Shaka International Airport has much economic, social and employment implications for the municipality because of its location. Mandeni Local Municipality is strategically located midway between Durban and Richards Bay, and lies on the development corridor on the North Coast between these two major port cities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located on the major railway and road transportation routes which link these two economic hubs in KwaZulu-Natal. This strategic location is also acknowledged in the Provincial Spatial Framework which has identified Mandeni as the growth node in the north coast corridor. The Tugela River bisects the municipal area thereby giving the area an important competitive advantage in the form of constant availability of water. The municipal area has a very rich historical past.The historical events which occurred in this area include: the Battle of Tugela, which was fought on the slopes of Ndondakusuka in 1838 between a group of settlers from Port Natal under John Cane and Robert Biggar, and an impi of Dingaans forces, and the battle of Ndondakusuka in 1856, fought between King Mpandes sons Cetshwayo and Mbuyazwe; to contest the right of succession to the Zulu throne; and the ultimatum given to King Cetshwayos izinduna by the colonial authorities on 11 December 1878 at the Ultimatum Tree on the banks of the Tugela in the Mandeni Municipal area. This led to the invasion of the Kingdom of KwaZulu on 22 January 1879, and the start of the Anglo - Zulu War. Other sites of cultural and historical interest are Cetshwayos Stone in eNdulinde, Nandis Kraal, the Swedish Mission south of Tugela, and Mpaphala, where the first registered sangoma lived. The Ndondakusuka Military Kraal has been established to set out, in particular, the Zulu social and military system. The project includes site clearing at the Ultimatum Tree, Fort Pearson and at war graves, as well as the construction of interpretive, and arts and crafts centres. Internal Agency Ref No:ZZ00008146 Property Reference #: 3279476 Nearby Schools: Tugela Secondary School 1.30 Lower Tugela Primary School 1.47 Lloyd Primary School - 0.6km School - 1.5km North Coast Primary School - 2.7km Stanger High School - 2.7km Aldinville Primary School - 2.8km Nearby Emergency Services: Police SAPS - Stanger CBD - 2.8km Groutville Clinic - 3km Glenhills Clinic - 3.2km Surgeon Pragagsen Moodley Surgery - 3.6km Medical Practitioner - Dentist - 3.6km Nearby Restaurants: Spur - Sanchez - 3.7km KFC - Hulett Street - 3.8km Kandy Kitchen Take Aways - 3.8km Nando's - Stanger 2 - 3.8km Pie City - 3.9km Nearby Places/Vicinity: Mandini Medical Centre 4.02 Mandeni Clinic 4.26 Brotherhood of Blessed Gerard Care Centre 3.36 Total - Riverview Diesel 0.51 Caltex 0.66 Caltex 1.55 Total - Tugela Motors 3.54 Total Bonjour 3.52 Steers 3.53 Mandini Mini Market & Family Store 4.00 Mandini Pharmacy 4.01 Post Point - Luthulli - 1.8km Groutville United Congressional Church - 2.3km Nedbank - 2.7km Total Bonjour - 2.7km Total - Ushaka - 2.7km Agent Details: Jemendra Haripershad CHOPROP HOLDINGS S.A PTY (LTD) 146 Willem Botha Wierda Park 0157 Gauteng South Africa Centurion www.choprop.com

One of the greatest talents that Winston Churchill was blessed with was his extraordinary command of the English language. He would go on to write a prodigious 65 books in his lifetime. He was rewarded for this in 1953 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet in Britain his abilities as a writer were already widely recognized by the end of the 19th century. Yet oddly enough he had not excelled academically at school and it was only on his third attempt that he passed the entrance examination to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Before entering politics he went on to combine his military career with journalism and shortly after the outbreak of the South African War in 1899, he was contracted as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. He made his way to the Natal front where he was destined to become one of the highest-paid newspaper reporters in the world. Much has been made of Churchill’s heroism. The exceptional courage he displayed when defending the derailed armoured train at Chieveley in Natal made his reputation. Yet strictly speaking as a journalist he was a non-combatant, but on his capture, the Boers treated him as a combatant because of his actions at the armoured train. This was not an isolated incident of bravery for on other occasions, in Cuba, India and in Africa, his sometimes almost reckless courage had drawn widespread comment. On three different occasions during the Malakand campaign in India, he rode his pony along the skirmish line while everyone else was ducking for cover. He admitted that his actions were foolish, but playing for high stakes was a calculated risk. ‘Given an audience there is no act too daring or too noble’, he wrote to his mother, and concluded his letter by saying: ‘... without the gallery things are different.’ Scaling the wall surrounding the prison yard in Pretoria and making his way through enemy territory to Portuguese East Africa was not considered a particularly great feat by the British military. Yet his escape he was largely unknown to the British people until then was hailed by many as one of the greatest military escapes ever. His instant fame, to a large degree, came about because the war was going badly for the British Army at the time. A depressed British people needed a hero to bolster their sagging enthusiasm for the war, so Winston Churchill was their man. He had the need to stay in the limelight to fuel his political ambitions and the best way to achieve that was by returning to the front as a journalist and part-time soldier after his escape where he continued to captivate the readers of the Morning Post with his dispatches, writing convincingly about his own and other’s front-line experiences. His stories of how he miraculously escaped the bullets that whistled around him in Natal and the Orange Free State and how he rode a bicycle through enemy-held Johannesburg, ending with his triumphant returned to Pretoria where he helped to liberate his former fellow POW's from captivity, earned his newspaper a fortune. The fact that the adventures he described sometimes did not happen exactly the way he related them didn't seem to bother anyone. William Manchester wrote: ‘Virtually every event he (Churchill) described in South Africa, as in Cuba, on the North-West Frontier, and at Omdurman, was witnessed by others with whom recollections were consistent. The difference, of course, lay in the interpretation.’ I set out to discover the real Churchill in those early years of his life. During this process I discovered many facets to this complex and controversial man. At times I felt like a certain painter described by Cervantes. This sage artist was asked, as he was starting on a new canvas, what his picture was to be. ‘That’, he replied, ‘is as it may turn out.’ So this, my account of how the young and extraordinary Winston Churchill became a hero during the South African War, is how it turned out. Paperback, 268 pages. Published August 2008  

Please note these are SMALL  versions of Andy Mays Uniform cards.  They are ideal for framing with related militaria (the small size is more practicle) or for use as bookmarks. There are 18 sets in the Anglo Boer War Series of Uniform Cards.  On offer here are all 18 sets combined at a reduced price (R40 each).   Individual sets are available upon request at R50 each. Each set consists of six uniform cards. Each card is 14cm high and 6cm wide. SET 1 - NATAL COLONIALS SET 2 - SIEGE OF LADYSMITH SET 3 - TRANSVAAL STAATSARTILLERIE SET 4 - OVS ARTILLERIE CORPS SET 5 - BOER COMMANDOS SET 6 - BOER VOLUNTEERS SET 7 - HIGHLANDERS AT MAGERSFONTEIN SET 8 - BATTLE OF TALANA HILL SET 9 - NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED RIFLES SET 10 - ROYAL NAVAL BRIGADE SET 11 - THE CANADIANS SET 12 - SIEGE OF KIMBERLEY SET 13 - THE AUSTRALIANS 1899 SET 14 - SOUTH AFRICAN IRREGULARS SET 15 - CAPE COLONIALS SET 16 - SIEGE OF MAFEKING SET 17 - BOER VARIOUS SET 18 - THE WEST AUSTRALIANS

One of the greatest talents that Winston Churchill was blessed with was his extraordinary command of the English language. He would go on to write a prodigious 65 books in his lifetime. He was rewarded for this in 1953 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yet in Britain his abilities as a writer were already widely recognized by the end of the 19th century. Yet oddly enough he had not excelled academically at school and it was only on his third attempt that he passed the entrance examination to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Before entering politics he went on to combine his military career with journalism and shortly after the outbreak of the South African War in 1899, he was contracted as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. He made his way to the Natal front where he was destined to become one of the highest-paid newspaper reporters in the world. Much has been made of Churchills heroism. The exceptional courage he displayed when defending the derailed armoured train at Chieveley in Natal made his reputation. Yet strictly speaking as a journalist he was a non-combatant, but on his capture, the Boers treated him as a combatant because of his actions at the armoured train. This was not an isolated incident of bravery for on other occasions, in Cuba, India and in Africa, his sometimes almost reckless courage had drawn widespread comment. On three different occasions during the Malakand campaign in India, he rode his pony along the skirmish line while everyone else was ducking for cover. He admitted that his actions were foolish, but playing for high stakes was a calculated risk. Given an audience there is no act too daring or too noble, he wrote to his mother, and concluded his letter by saying:... without the gallery things are different. Scaling the wall surrounding the prison yard in Pretoria and making his way through enemy territory to Portuguese East Africa was not considered a particularly great feat by the British military. Yet his escape he was largely unknown to the British people until then was hailed by many as one of the greatest military escapes ever. His instant fame, to a large degree, came about because the war was going badly for the British Army at the time. A depressed British people needed a hero to bolster their sagging enthusiasm for the war, so Winston Churchill was their man. He had the need to stay in the limelight to fuel his political ambitions and the best way to achieve that was by returning to the front as a journalist and part-time soldier after his escape where he continued to captivate the readers of the Morning Post with his dispatches, writing convincingly about his own and others front-line experiences. His stories of how he miraculously escaped the bullets that whistled around him in Natal and the Orange Free State and how he rode a bicycle through enemy-held Johannesburg, ending with his triumphant returned to Pretoria where he helped to liberate his former fellow POW's from captivity, earned his newspaper a fortune. The fact that the adventures he described sometimes did not happen exactly the way he related them didn't seem to bother anyone. William Manchester wrote: Virtually every event he (Churchill) described in South Africa, as in Cuba, on the North-West Frontier, and at Omdurman, was witnessed by others with whom recollections were consistent. The difference, of course, lay in the interpretation. I set out to discover the real Churchill in those early years of his life. During this process I discovered many facets to this complex and controversial man. At times I felt like a certain painter described by Cervantes. This sage artist was asked, as he was starting on a new canvas, what his picture was to be. That, he replied, is as it may turn out. So this, my account of how the young and extraordinary Winston Churchill became a hero during the South African War, is how it turned out. Paperback, 268 pages. Published August 2008